Ways to Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

It’s time for another installment of my travel tips and tricks. This time I’m offering suggestions on how to immerse yourself in local culture.

While the most obvious and probably most effective way to get an authentic experience in a location is by knowing the language. But if you don’t there’s no need to lose hope. Here are some other ways to dive in and fully embrace the culture of the destination you are traveling to:

Lose the map

I recently saw a quote that said, “Put down that map and get wonderfully lost”. I understand that you are beyond excited that you finally made it toLondon/Rome/Barcelonaand that you just have to see Tower Bridge/Colosseum/La Sagrada Familia.

Definitely see those places, please, but also be sure to walk around neighborhoods that aren’t on the tourist map to get a feel for what the city is really like. I guarantee you it feels very different than the areas where the big tourist traps attractions are.

Rent an apartment

One of the reasons I gave for wanting tostay in a Go with OH! apartmentwas the opportunity to live like a local. And while I did miss the wonderful continental breakfast you get at a hotel when I stayed in the apartment, as I predicted I would, I got to see and experience some aspects of everyday life, such as taking the bus with people on their way to work and seeing and hearing the after-school chaos and cacophony in a way I wouldn’t have if I had been in a hotel.

Go to market or grocery store

Another great way to immerse yourself in the local culture is to go to a market, where you can find any and everything, from produce to “antiques”. Not only is this the place to score some amazing finds, but a
wonderful opportunity to mix and mingle with the local population.

Pick up the local paper

I like USA Today and the International Herald Tribune as much as the next person, but why not also get a local paper? Even if you don’t speak the language, you can probably decipher enough to be able to go through the listings of concerts, events attractions and restaurants favored and frequented by locals and find something fun to do that isn’t listed in a guidebook.

1 week agoby anunstoppablejourneyHappy Sunday! I’m taking you to church today to the Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Located on the site where the region’s most notorious slave market sat, which was closed in 1873, the cathedral was constructed in 1879 in celebration of the end of slavery. .

2 weeks agoby anunstoppablejourneyShe is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25 . That’s because there’s nothing to fear. God’s got me. . Happy International Women’s Day! . Tag a woman who inspires you in the comments and tell us why. . . . .

2 weeks agoby anunstoppablejourney“Unusual doors often take you to the unusual worlds!” Mehmet Murat ildan . So many interesting and unusual doors in Zanzibar. . A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stone Town, Zanzibar has more than 800 ornate wooden doors dating back to the era of Sultan Barghash (1870-1880). . As you meander

2 weeks agoby anunstoppablejourneyRepost from @aRUNstoppablejourney ••• Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing. Barry Finlay . It’s #medalMonday , and I’m sharing this beauty from the Kilimanjaro Marathon and Half. . I’m still climbing my personal mountain, but with #kilimarathon making Tanzania country # 33/50, I’m happy to say

3 weeks agoby anunstoppablejourneyOn the last day of Black History Month, I am sharing these images of the poignant Slave Memorial and museum in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Located next to the former slave auction site, the memorial by Swedish artist Clara Sornas, shows 5 Africans with chains around their necks. In the museum

3 weeks agoby anunstoppablejourneyThere’s a pool. There’s a private white sand beach. Yet my favorite place at the resort is the jetty. I especially love the little boat that, while gone in the afternoon, shuttling guests back and forth to excursions, it is moored here in the early morning and at dusk, my

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